Separately lockable compartment trunk



April 8- F. CHRISTOFFERS EN 2,115,253

SEPARATELY LQCKABLE COMPARTMENT TRUNK Filed Feb. 18, 1957 4 Fred Christoffefsen a almfl- W Gttorneg ISnnentor Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orsie Fred Christofiersen, Herman, Nebr.

Application February 18, 1937, Serial No. 126,374

2 Claims. (Cl. 190-16) 5 be locked simultaneously with a mechanism servent inventionproviding means whereby any se- 5 ing all of the compartments. lected compartment or compartments may remain A further object of the invention is to provide unlocked and openable while the other compart means serving all of said compartments whereby ments may remain locked, -makes it possible to l one or more of said compartments may be closed display only such samples as are of immediate and locked while other compartments are uninterest and to the exclusion and protection of 10 looked as may be selected. other samples.

Other and further objects and advantages of Referring now to the drawing for a more parthe invention will be understood from the followticular description and first to Figure 1 wherein ing detailed description taken in connection with is shown a hollow trunk or the like which when the accompanying drawing in which: closed is of substantially rectangular hexahedron 15 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container shape, provided with aplurality of compartments, embodying the present invention. said trunk having a base Ill providing one of its Figure 2 is a sectional view of a fragment of 7 sides, said base being provided withaperimetrical the container and a lock mechanism employed rim flange ll extending therefrom and thereshowing partly in section and partly in side elearound. The flange H may be of any width devation. sired extending from the base It! any selected dis-,

Figure 3 is a face view of the lock mechanism, tance in accordance with the number of later certain portions thereof being broken away and described trays carried within the trunk, said base showing in section. and its flange constituting the base portion of Figure 4 is a sectional view of a fragment of the trunk. A covermember l2 provides a side 5 the container shown in Figure 1 showing the apfor the trunk or container which is oppositely plication of certain hinge members employed. disposed to the base ID at times when the trunk Heretofore traveling salesmen and the like is closed, said cover member [2 also having a transporting their valuable samples in automoperimetrically disposed rim flange I 3 extending biles have usually placed said samples in sample therefrom and therearound similar to the rim 30 cases or trunks positioned in the body of said veflange ll, said cover l2 and its rim flange constihicles and in the case of valuable samples such tuting the cover portion of the trunk. The rim as jewelry or the like it has been found necessary flange l3 may be of any selected width and is to maintain the sample container locked to pre adapted to abut against the rim flange H at vent unauthorized persons from tampering and times when the trunk is closed. At least one 357 pilfering. The conventional container trunk tray is disposed within the trunk and preferably being provided with trays, it has been found inat least two trays are provided. Said trays are convenient to lift one tray from another for disof slightly less area in plan than the area beplaying samples disposed in the bottom or lower tween the several portions of the rim flange H portions of such trunk. Also when lifting a for disposing the trays snugly within the trunk in 40 tray of samples from the trunk it must be necesstacked relation between said base I!) and said sarily placed somewhere before the next tray cover l2. 7 of samples can be removed whereby sample trays The bottom member H! of the tray I5, in use, become distributed upon the ground or side walk is spaced away from the base in a sufficient disadjacent to the vehicle, causing the curious to tance to provide a suitable compartment thereby, 5 congregate and augmenting the chances of said said tray 15 being provided with a perimetrically pilfering. The present invention contemplates disposed rim flange l6. The base portion .of the the provision of a compartment sample case which trunk is provided with a hinge-wing H, as best is particularly adapted to be disposed upon the shown in Figure 4, and the cover portion is proplatform of the rear closeable compartment of a vided with a similar wing-hinge l8, said wings 5 modern stream-lined automobile, whereby when being secured together, by means of an axle pin the cover of said automobile compartment is I9 which may be extended against one side of-the maintained in an up and open position the cover trunk, if desired, and said hinge-wings may be of the sample case of container of the present also similarly of elongated character. The rim invention may also be similarly swung up and flange of the tray I5 is provided with a hinge- 55 This invention relates to containers and more particularly to luggage trunks, tool boxes and. the like, and has for an object to provide a container having a plurality of compartments which may open together with its several compartments, whereby all of the goods remain in front of a prospective purchaser and the salesman thereof, thereby prohibiting said pilfering. Also the presl9 whereby the base portion and the cover portion wing 29 which is also pivotally mounted on the axle ill, a plurality of compartments being thereby provided at times when the trunk is closed.

If desired, an additional tray 2i is employed having a like rim flange, the hinge-wing 2 l thereof also being pivotally mounted on the axle pin are adapted to have relative swinging movements, said tray or trays being adapted to have similar relative movements either with respect to each other or with respect to either of said portions.

The rim flange of the tray l4 carries a lock mechanism although'said lock mechanism may,

be carried by any of the trays employed as may barrel and key type.

be selected. The lock mechanism is preferably of cludes conventional pins and springs,,not shown, which operate in a well known manner. If'desired, the lock may be of the'keyless permutation type.

As best shown in Figure 2, the fiange of the tray l5 which is oppositely disposed with respect to its hinge-wing 29 is provided with an arm 23 secured thereto by means of suitable rivets or the like 24, said arm carrying one-or more rivets or a fastening'device 25 which may consistof welding whereby the said fastening device proimpart revoluble movements to the sleeve when it is unlocked. V

V The sleeve 21 is provided with an'annular disc 30 vformed integral therewith, the latter being provided with an annularly disposed flange 3i and it will be understood that when the sleeve 2's is rotated the flange 3| is provided with corresponding movements. 7

Asbest shown in Figure 3, the pin or pins 32 V of the lock mechanism are adapted to be received 32 is extended into any of saidlslots, the latter in any of the slots 33 formed on the inner annular wall'of the sleeve, whereby the sleeve is prevented from rotary movements with respect to the stationary barrel of the look at times when the pin being spaced apart. s V

The flange 3! of the sleeve preferably extends outwardly from and beyond both sides of the disc 3B. The flange of the tray 2|, as best shown'in Figure 2, is provided with a resilient spring 'arm 34 secured thereto, said arm having at its free, end a beveled hook 35 and as' there shown at times when the trays are moved into abutting relation with respect to each other, the hook 35 will "pass the flange Bl of thefdisc, the resiliency of the arm causing the hook to move towards the discwhereby the hook engages with said flange for locking the two trays together, whereby the compartment within the lower tray 15 is closed and locked, said disc-flange cooperating with the hook to'snap-lock said parts together.

The'annular flange ofthe sleeve is provided with a notch 35 shown in dotted lines in, Figure and at times when said annular flange is rotated thef oppositely disposed walls of said notch may be thereby brought into parallelism with the arm 34 whereby the said notch registers with the hook The lock mechanism inof said arm and in alignment therewith; whereupon the tray 2| may be swung away from the tray I5 for opening the compartment of the latter.

The base portion of the trunk is similarly provided with a resilient spring arm '31 having a like hook at its free end adapted to engage the flange of the disc whereby the compartment between the bottom member M of the tray l5 and the base ID of the trunk may be made inaccessible while at the same time the compartment within the tray I5 may be similarly made inaccessible or accessible as may be desired, and at times when the notch 36 of the annular flange is rotated to' register with thehook of the arm 31, the base portion of the trunk may be released from the tray 15.

The annularflange of the disc is provided with an outwardly extending annular guard collar 38, the outer perimeter of which extends beyond the 'accessible'portions of the spring arms 37 and. 34

for the purpose of preventing an unauthorized person from tampering with or releasing the detent hooks. The tray 2i is further provided with a guard plate 39 .which cooperates with the collar 38 in guarding against any tampering with the spring arm 34 particularly.

That edge of the annular flange 3i which is outwardly disposed with respectto the trunk is provided'with a notch 46, as best shown in Figregister with the hook of the spring arm carried by the cover portion of the trunk for release ing said cover portion at authorized times.

A guard-plate s2 is carriedby and upon the outside of the cover portion, as best shown in Figure l, which in conjunction with the dial plate 43 guards against tampering with the spring arm 4 l.

The dial plate 43 is preferably provided with a milled annular edge for facilitating rotating the sleeve to which it is rigidly secured. A further guard plate is preferably provided, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2, uponthe outside of of the base portion of r the perimetrical flange H the trunk. V i

In operation the pin 32 of the lock mechanism being retracted, the sleeve is then rotated whereby a selected notch is'placed in register with a selected hook for opening a selected compartment and said pin 32 is released into a corresponding slot locking the other compartments, said unlocked compartment permitting a swinging movement of its walls and it will be noted that any of said compartments may be opened or unlocked irrespective of the condition of the other compartments, themechanism permits the merchandi'se, tools or the like within the compart- -ures 2 andS which is, adapted to be brought in ment of the tray 2| to become accessible by re v.1

leasing the hook of the spring arm llonlysthe a l. cover portion thereupon being freely 'swingable for said purpose. If it is desired to also expose to view the contents of the compartment between the bottom id of the tray l4 and thebase H] while at the same time the compartment within the" tray 15 remains closed and locked, the mechanism is manipulated to release the spring arm 31 from the lock mechanism for said purpose; whereupon both the cover portion and base portion are movableaway from or with respect to thetrays which are latchedtogether by mean of the spring arm34at said time.

Similarly the lock mechanism maybe manipulated to provide other combinations of looked closed and unlockedopenableor open compart-. ments, The trunk may 'be provided with a suit-' able leather or the like covering material on the outside thereof. a

It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be em ployed Without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

I claim: a

1. A hollow rectangular hexahedron multiple compartment trunk or the like, comprising a base portion having a perimetrical rim flange extending therefrom, a cover portion provided with a similar flange, said flanges adapted to abut each other when the trunk is closed, at least one tray within the trunk having a perimetrical rim flange, said base, cover and tray hinged to a common axle for relative swinging movements, the base of the tray being spaced from the base of the trunk, when the latter is closed, a sufiicient distance to provide a storage compartment therebetween, key controlled means for selectively securing the tray to said base portion or to said cover portion or to both portions for preventing said swinging movements, said means comprising a sleeve lock mechanism and barrel secured to the rim flange or" the tray, said lock having a key-way accessible from the exterior of the trunk when the latter is closed, a flanged disk mounted for revoluble movements axially with respect to said barrel, said mechanism arranged to prevent and to permit movement of the disk, said flange having a plurality of notches, resilient latch arms provided'with beveled detent hooks carried by the base and cover portions, said hooks adapted to engage said flange of the disk for securing the arms to the flange, said flange adapted to be rotated for bringing the oppositely disposed Walls of each selected notch into parallelism with selected hooks to permit said relative swinging movements.

2. In a luggage trunk or the like having a, body portion and a cover portion, hinge-wings for said portions, an axle pin for said wings, trays stacked Within the trunk providing a plurality.

of normally closed compartments, hinge-wings for the trays pivotally mounted on said pin, said portions and trays adapted to have relative' swinging movement on theircommon axle for opening or closing said compartments, a lock mechanism carried by one of said trays, a revoluble disk provided with an annular flange axially disposed with respect to said lock, said lock adapted to control the revoluble movements of said disk, a resilient detent hook carried by the other tray adapted to engage against said flange for securing the trays together, resilient detent hooks carried by the cover and body portions adapted to engage against said flange for locking said portions and trays together, said flange provided with a plurality of release notches for the hooks, said flange adapted to be manually rotated, when permitted by said lock mechanism, for causing said hooks to register with selected notches for permitting any of the said relative swinging movements for opening any or all of said compartments.

FRED CHRISTOFFERSEN." 

